Fastener



April 28, 1925. 1,535,981

F. S. CARR K FASTENER FleEl`Uan. 22, 1924 Patented Apr. 28, 1925.

'FRED S. CARR, OF NEWTON, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO CBR FASTENER COM-PANY, OF CAMS/BRIDGE, MASSACHUSETTS, A. CORPORATION` 0F MAINE:

FASTENER.

Application filed January 22, 1924. Serial No. 687,751.

To aZZ 'whomzlt may concern:

Be it known. that I, FRED S. CARR, a citizen ofthe United States, andresident of Newton, in the county of lWiddlesex, State of Massachusetts,have invented an Imrovement in Fasteners, of which the folowingdescription, in connection with the accompanying drawings, 1s aspecification,

like characters on the drawings representing like parts.`

This invention aims to provide an mproved fastener peculiarly welladapted for securing rugs and the like, an improved method `of securingthe sockets of such fasteners to rugs, and an improved attachment .ofrugs to floors, and this application is a continuation in art of myapplication Serial No. 616,292 filed February l, 1923, entitledFasteners.

In the drawings, which illustrate a preferred and a modified form of myinvention:

Figure l is a plan view of a portion of a rug or carpet showing indotted lines the position of an underlying fastener;

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the socket, showing the attachment of theprongs to the somewhat magnified warp and weft threads Fig. 3 is a planview of the socket attachment to the ring;

Fig. 4 is a section on the line 4 4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is a section on the line 5 5 of Fig. l, being partly inelevation;

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a modified form of dsocket before attachment tothe carpet an Fig. 7 is ai section on the line 7--7 of before Fig. 6.

Referring to the drawings, in the preferred form of my inventionselected` foll threads.

passage of the head of the stud therethrough.

he spring-securing plate is held in position by inwardly bent lugs 23(best shownin Fig. 3) struck inwardly from the upstanding wall 17. Asthe wall 17 is somewhat `weakened by the removal therefrom of thematerial providing the lugs 23, I have provided above the wall acontinuous ring 24, integral with the wall 17 and bottom pla-te l5, thisring preferably generally parallel to the bottom plate 15 and providinga bufa considerable pull on the carpet necessary to separate the socketfrom the stud. Thus a peculiar problem arises in providing a strong, andat the same time sightly and inexpensive, attachment of the socket tothe carpet or rug. To fasten the socket to a carpet or rug 25, vI haveprovided a series of prongs 27, extending upwardly from the periphery ofthe ring 24, these prongs adapted to pierce the carpet or ring.Following my improved method of attaching the socket to the rug, theseprongs after penetrating the warp and weft are bent outwardly,preferably curvilinearly so that they are arched and so that the outerends thereof extend downwardlyl through the web of the carpet. Thusweb-engaging hooks are provided corresponding to the upper side of astitched loop, and the fastener is in effect metallically stitched tothe warp and weft of the carpet. The metallic outwardly extending curvedloop or hook has, however, marked advantages over a flexible loop suchas is provided by ordinary stitching with thread or even wire, becausewhen upward strain is exerted on the carpet to separate the socket fromthe stud, the strain on the carpet pulls against' the inner curvedsurface of ythe lretallic loop, as though strain were exerted againstthe inner surface of ak hook. /Thus the harder the strain the moresecure is the engagement, up to the point of breakage of the warp andweft This is not the case when the metallic prongs are bent inwardly,instead of iceA outwardl as in the former the strain tends to pull t ewarp and`weft out of the metallic loo s. The il) any su stantial 'extentby the prongs, and the rongs are to'a large extent concealed by tliepile, where the latter is 'of substantial length. Aside from this, therelatively small portions of the prongs above the warp and weft threadsare so embedded in and surrounded by the pile, that they are. toallintents and pur oses conceale'd,'even when first applied. rdinarily theprongs become entirely u-nnoticeable when, after a short eriod of use,suflicient dirt accumulates above them to obscure the sheen of themetal. The prongs, extendingoutwardly from the casing, enlarge for anygiven size of casing the area of the carpet web orba'ckinfr embracedWithin the prongs, thus distributing over a considerable area of theweb, that strain to which it is subjected when the carpet is pulled to'disengage the socket from its cooperating stud.

The zone of en a ement of the prongs with the carpet weg, beingrelatively far removed from the stud-engaging spring 19, rovides afavorable leverage, when strain 1s exerted on the carpet to separatethev socket from the stud, thus reducing not only the strain on theprongs but, more'im'pontant, greatly reducing the strain on the carl etweb or backing, as compared with soc et-attaching systems wherem' theengagement between the socket and the web practically overlies thestud-engaging spring 19.

While for some purposes, the outwardly thrown prongs need not be curved,there are in most instances decided advantages that they be curved.Where they are curved the strain on the prong arising from a fastenerdisengaging pull on the carpet is necessarily transmitted to portions ofa rong or several prongs, relatively close to t eb'ody of the fastenerso that the "prongs will not be bent4 by the strain.` When, on the otherhand, the prongs are bent straight outwardly, any fastener disengagingIstrain on the carpet 1s applied to the extreme outer end of the prongs,

and the leverage is such that there is a very strong tendency for theprongs to be bent upwardly and to release their hold on the carpet. Thecurved prong, onv the other hand, is so strong that the attachment -isfully as secure as though a separate attach ing washer or ring wereprovided. In an outwardly bent prong, the engagement between the prongand the war or weft threads when under strain is a ways at a relativelywide portion of the prong, so that a substantial bearing surface isprovided.

against these threads, minimizing any tendency to cut them.

The amountA of the pile overlain by the e of the carpgt is not overlainto curved prong is much less than that overlain by a corresponding pronbent straight outwardly, andl therefore t e outwardly curved prong hasthe additional advantage of being the more completely concealed by ofthe stud and that the lowerinost face l of the socket may Contact with arigid supporting surface beneath the carpet. In the present instance itis shown as seating on theI flange of the stud 11 which-in turn rests onthe floor so that the socket is mediately supported on the Hoor 13.

One of the principal strains exerted on the fastener in use is a lateralstrain vsubstantially in the plane of the floor or the carpet such as isproduced by sliding or scuiiing the lfoot over the `surface ofthecarpet. Now, if We imagine a pull such as would be produced -in thismanner exerted substantially in the lane of the carpet and towards theleft in ig. 5, it will be 'seen that the face 15 of the socket atthele't in that figure seats on its rigid support andcan'not movefurther downwardly to permit the socket as -a whole to tip and bedisengaged by such tipping action from the stud. On the other hand, ifit is desired intentionally to release the fastener, the ed e of thecarpet is raised and pulled upwarly and if the right hand edge inFiOf. 5is so raised, it will be seen that the seated surface of the socket atthe left will form a fulcrum about which .such tipping movement ispermitted, thus providing for a quick and easy release of the fastener.In this action the out-bent prongs', being disposed relatively far fromthe fulcrum, provide a favorable leverage for such movement. This willperhaps be bettergvisualizcd by ima ining4 the carpet lifted at the lefthand si e o f Fig. 5 since the rong 7 appears in full lines on that sidein t e fi ure.

The s1de wall 17 adds greatly to the strength of thesocket as a whole,and also strengthens the prongs at the periphery of the ring portion 24.by providing a very strong, peripheral portion adjacent the prongs 'sothat theA weight of a person step# ping upon the carpet or ring directlyover the concealed socket will not crush the socket spring 19, as bestshown in Fig. 6. This construction provides a two-piece socket 1nsteadof a three-piece socket as shown in the preferred form, the attachmentto the` rug in this form of construction preferably being, asillustrated, the same as previously described in connection with thepreferred form.

While I have shown and described a preferred form of fastener (with onemodification thereof), and a preferred attachment thereof to a carpet,and while I have de` `comprising a casing underlying the back of acarpet and presenting'upstanding prongs which penetrate the carpetbacking and extend outwardly over the carpet web, said prongs beingconcealed by the pile of the carpet.

2. A carpet fastener socket casing having a plurality of attachingprongs penetrating the carpet web and extending outwardly from thesocket to engage over the carpet web, said prongs curved and havingtheir outer ends extending downwardly through the web to provide ahook-like engagement, loca'lizing near the base of the prongs and strainarising from upward pull on the carpet when the socket is beingdisengaged from a cooperating stud. Y

3. A carpet fastener comprising, in combination, a stud part and asocket part, one of said parts having attaching prongs penetrating thecarpet web and extending outwardly to engage over the carpet web, saidprongs curved downwardly toward their outer ends and extending backthrough'the web to provide a hook-like engagement therewith minimizingbending strain on the prongs and minimizing the opportunity for slippageof the warp and weft threads from under the prongs, when the carpet ispulled upwardly to disengage the stud and socket.

4. A carpet vfastener socket having contractible and. expansible meansadjacent to the bottom thereof adapted to engage and disengage anunderlying stud secured to the floor, said socket presenting upstandingprongsadapted to penetrate the carpet back and be bent outwardly doverthe warp and weft threads thereof, the entire socket, except for thebent-over parts of the prongs, being located beneath the carpet.

5. A carpet fastener socket comprising a casing and u standing prongsintegral with and arising rom the periphery of said case ing, saidprongs bent outwardly and downwardly over the warp and weft threads ofthe carpet so that an upward pull on the carpet tends to hold the socketmore firmly to the carpet.

6. A carpet fastener socket having a casing presenting upstanding prongsbent outwardly and downwardly to provide hooks over the web of thecarpet, said hooks concealed from view by the pile of the carpet.

7. A carpet fastener sockethaving a casing present-ing upstanding prongsbent outwardly and downwardly to provide hooks over the web of thecarpet, said prongs pointed to minimize cutting of thev web threads, andwidening towardI saidcasing whereby, when upward strain is exerted onthe carpet, the web threads will be pulled against lrelatively w'igde[portions of said prongs, relatively close to said casing.

8. A carpet fastener socket comprising, in combination, a dish-shapedcasing having a peripheral strengthening wall, a spring for engaging 1astud and spring-positioning means for positioning said spring relativeto said casing, prongs projecting from the periphery of said casing'andcurving upwardly, outwardly and downwardly, there-v by providing hooksengaging over warp and weft threads of the carpet.

9. A ,carpet fastener socket. comprising a casing having a plurality `offabric-engaging prongs, and a resilient stud-engagin member secured inoperative relation to 'sai casing, Said prongs clenched outwardly anddownwardly into engagement with the warp and weft threads of saidfabric.

10. A carpetfastener socket, comprising'a prong-presenting member and aresilient stud-engaging member -secured tosaid prong-presenting member,said prongs piercing a carpet or the like and thereafter' benthook-shaped into engagement with and over the warp and weft threads ofsaid carpet with the pointed ends directed toward the carpet back andthehooks concealed from view by thel pile thereof.

1l. A carpet fastener socket comprising a ,contractible and expansiblestud-engaging member, a support for said stud-engag-- ing member and aplurality of prongs spaced about the periphery of said support, saidvprongs piercing a carpet or the like and thereafter bent outwardly anddownwardly to form hooks for engagement with the warp and weft threadsof said carpet.

12. A carpet fastener, comprising fa stud 25' adapted to be fastened toa floor, and a socket presenting a casing having a body *partlpresenting a stud-receiving aperture,

a.c1rcular spring behind said stud-receiving aperture and a springretaining lpart overlying said spring and secured' within v portions ofthe warp more widely separated said body part, one of said partspresentingl integral prongs to penetrate the web of a carpet, saidprongs projecting from that side of the socket opposite saidvstudreceiving aperture.

13.A carpet fastener comprising a stud vadapted to be fastened to thefloor and a socket for engaging the study adapted to be secured to thecarpet, said socket member presenting a casing having upper and lowerparts enclosing a spring, the upper part housed within the lower partand upwardly projecting carpet engaging prongs on the lower part. i

14. A fastenersocket secured to a fabric having a warp and presentingprongs penetrating the warp from the back and deflected outwardly anddownwardly to engage than the over-all vdiameter of the socket proper.

15. A snap fastener socket for carpets and the like comprising a casinghaving a bottom portion, a yperipheral wall above said bottom portionand prongs forming a continuation of said peripheral wall, said casingcontaining a spring and roviding above said spring a top plate, saidprongs deflected outwardly and downwardly to embrace portions of thewarp of the carpet, whereby an upward pull on the carpet on any sidewill exert lforce on the warp away from the end of the adjacent curvedprong and prevent disengagement of the prongs from the web.

16. The method of securing to a carpet a fastener socket presenting abody portion having a stud-receivin aperture therein and upwardlyprojecting prongs, which comprises initially locating said socket backof the continuous web of the carpet with the prongs projecting towardthe web then forcing said prongs through the web of the carpet andbending said Fprongs outwardly to overlie the web on the opposite sidethere of from the body portion'presenting the stud-receiving aperture,the body of the socret being entirely locatedback of the We 17. The m`thod of attaching a carpet fastener havi gat its periphery a pluralityof upwardly projecting prongs to a carpet or the like, having a web anda pile, which comprises forcing said prongs through the web and bendingsaid. prongs curvilinearlyoutwardly and downwardly to form hooks ,and toa substantial extent concealed by the adjacent pile of the carpet-intowhich the warp-and weft threads forming the web-are pulled when strainis exerted on the carpet to (separate the socket from a cooperating stu18. The method.J of attaching a carpet fastener socket having abodyprovided with a plurality of prongs to a carpet or the like whichcomprises forcing said rongs through the web of the -carpet and deecting said prongs cu'rvilinearly outwardly and downwardly to form hooksover threads of said web, while said prongs adjacent their ends againpenetrate t-he web, whereby an rovision for resilientl enfravfinflr 'aQstud y, rs i: i:

entered in said opening, and further-having a wall disposed outwardly ofsaid opening to seat on a support beneath the carpet to oppose suchtipping of the socket relative to the stud as would effect disengagementof the socket from the stud when lateral strain is exerted upon thecarpet.

20. A carpet fastener comprising a socket element having a plurality ofprongs bent outwardly and downwardly over the carpet. web and concealedby the pile, said socket having a stud-receiving opening and havingprovision for resilient-ly engaging a stu entered in said opening andfurther havin a wall" ositionedbetween said prongs and said opening toseat on a support beneath the carpet to oppose suoli tipping of thesocket relative to the stud when lateral strain is exerted' upon thecarpet as would effect disengagement of the socket from the stud whileproviding a fulcrum against the underlying support about which thecasing may be tipped when the carpet is pulled upwardly at one side ofthe socket, sid prongs providing a favorable disengaging leverage forapplication of force at a point 'relatively remote from such fulcrum tospring the socket Afree from the stud.

21. A carpet fastener element for separable connection with acooperating snapfastener element secured to the floor comprising a partfor engagement with said cooperating element, a surrounding elevatedbody portion and attaching prongs extending from said body ortion andbent outwardly and downwar ly over the; carpet web and concealed by thepile, said elevated portion seating on a su port beneath the ca et tooppose such tipping of the element re ative to said cooperating elementas would effect disengagement of the two when lateral strain is exertedupon the carpet.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification.

FRED S. CARR.

